Cartridge feeder attachment

ABSTRACT

Attachment of the cartridge feeding mechanism allows an explosively actuated fastener driving tool of the single-shot type to be convertible to the relatively rapid and convenient repeat-fire construction. Successive cartridges are fed from a magazine into breech-loading position in response to relative movement of a barrel to breech-open position.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,805,433 Passer '7 Apr. 23, 1974 CARTRIDGE FEEDER ATTACHMENT 3,499,590 3/1970 Bayer et a1 227/10 3,516,246 6/1970 Butler .1 227/10 [75] Inventor: La Passe" Seymour Conn- 3,540,141 11 1970 Butler 227/10 {73] Assignee: USM Corporation, Boston, Mass.

Primary Examiner-Samuel Feinberg [22] F'led: 1973 Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan [21] Appl. No.: 320,562 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carl E. Johnson; Vincent A. White; Richard B. Megleg [52] US. Cl 42/11, 42/] R, 4222/;79, ABSTRACT V 51 Int l 1741 13 00, 4 25 00 325 1/10 Attachment of the cartridge feeding mechanism allows 58 Field of Search 42/1 R, 17, 11, 49 R; an explosively actuated fastener driving tool of the 89/1 B, 1 R, 161; 227/9-11; 60/2611 gle-shot type to be convertible to the relatively rapid and convenient repeat-fire construction. Successive 5 References Cited cartridges are fed from a magazine into breech- UNITED STATES PATENTS loading position in response to relative movement of a barrel to breech-open position. 873,547 12/1907 Henry 42/11 3,168,744 2/1965 Kravle 42/1 R 8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures 1 CARTRIDGE FEEDER ATTACHMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Anchoring elements such as studs, pins and other elongated fasteners are commonly driven into metal, concrete or other hard materials by means of handheld, explosively fired tools. While in some work each cartridge to be ignited may be individually placed with one hand into firing position of a tool gripped by the other hand of an operator, there are numerous occasions where more rapid and automatic cartridge loading can insure increased output with greater convenience. Weather or other conditions, for example, may require gloves to be worn, and an operator cannot manipulate and load small cartridges (often of only .22 calibre) one at a time in conventional tools without removing at least one glove every time the tool is to be fired. Moreover, it is generally found that an operator is sufficiently occupied between shots with muzzle loading of the fasteners and other incidental matters.

In employing a fastener driving gun it has been a common practice to thrust its muzzle end against the locality of a structure which is to receive the fastener and thereby retract the barrel relative to a gun body to cock the tool, close the breech, and enable trigger operation to effect ignition of a charge, the cartridge casing being extracted upon reopening of the breech. A gun of this general type is disclosed, for example, in US. Letters Pat. No. 3,168,744 issued Feb. 9, 1965. While such guns may be characterized as a ram or piston type operable at relatively low velocity for low to medium duty fastening, the present invention is applicable as well to the so called free flight or ram-less type of tool operable at higher velocity for medium to heavy duty fastening.

It has been known to provide various strap type cartridge. mechanisms, for instance of the type shown in US. Letters Pat. No. 3,611,870, the cartridges being detachable for loading a cartridge chamber or loading a raceway and successive transfer into firing position. Various cartridge transfer mechanisms have hitherto been proposed for shifting the charges from a supply source to a firing chamber, but so far as I am aware none has hitherto been successfully provided as anattachment for operational use with a hand-held tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION attachment optically automatic for delivering successive cartridges substantially into ready-to-fire.position each time the breech is opened.

To these ends the invention contemplates provision of a raceway externally mountable on a gun body and adapted to receive a row of cartridges, means on the raceway for urging endmost cartridges therein into juxtaposition to a closable breech, and a cartridge carrier automatically shiftable to carry successive endmost cartridges from the raceway into the breech for alignment with a barrel bore when the barrel moves relative to the body and away from the firing position, the carrier being operable by mechanism energized by cocking movement of the barrel.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a cartridge feeder attachment comprising a magazine portion and a cartridge transferring mechanism substantially in alignment therewith, the mechanism comprising a floating cartridge carrier for receiving successive endmost cartridges from the magazine portion, a member energizable by relative cocking movement of a gun body and its barrel, and means disposed between the member and the carrier to control movement of the latter between an external cartridge loading position and an internal ibreech delivery position. As herein shown the magazine portion includes an escapement mechanism for retaining each endmost cartridge, and the member when energized is effective to cause the cartridge carrier to operate the escapement mechanism whereby the carrier is reloaded.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line IlIlIl of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line IV lV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view of the cartridge loading mechanism shown in FIG. 1, but now inverted and the breech being partly open;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of the cartridge loading mechanism of FIG. 5 when turned about its axis, the part now occupying breech fully-open positions;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to aportion of FIG. 6 with the breech partly open as in FIG. 5 and the feed mechanism locked in single-shot position, and

FIGS. 8-l3 are sectional views of portions of the cartridge feeding mechanism in a cycle of operations commencing with a breech-closed condition shown in FIG. 8.

Description of Preferred Embodiment Referring mainly to FIGS. 1 and 3, an explosive tool generally designated 14 has a main body 16 which is hollow for largely enclosing firing mechanism including a trigger 18. The body supports a hand grip 20 by which the tool may be wielded. A tubular forward portion 22 of the body 16 is open on one side as at 24 forproviding cartridge loading access to, and ejection from an axially bored breech end 26 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 10)of a barrel 28 when the latter has relatively moved forwardly as indicated in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The tool 14 preferably is a commonly known type wherein a muzzle end 30 is thrust endwise against a surface S (FIG. 1), after stud and cartridge loading to relatively retract the barrel 28,

cock the firing mechanism and close the breech 26 preparatory to firing.

The gun 14 may receive a manually loaded single cartridge C in its breech bore, and the gun is further provided as will next be explained with an automatic cartridge feeder attachment generally designated 32 (FIGS. 1, -10) for optionally facilitating repeat-fire operation and hence repeated installation of drive pins or the like (not shown) successively receivable in and to be driven from the muzzle end 30. The attachment 32 is elongated and comprises a magazine end portion 34, a base portion 36 to be disposed lengthwise of the gun 14, and feeder mechanism generally designated 38 (FIGS. 513) mounted on 'the portion 36'. For detachably securing the attachment assembly 32 a clamping collar 40 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4-7) extends about the enlarged forward base portion 36 and the muzzle end of the body 16, the collar being held by a screw 42 and a floating recoil ring 44 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The latter normally abuts a radial shoulder of the tool body but is movable axially thereon to insure that the feeder attachment 32 does not move relatively forwardly during the recoil of firing the tool against a solid object.

The magazine end portion 34 of the attachment 32 includes a cartridge raceway or slide 46 (FIGS. 2, 5, and 6) longitudinally slotted and undercut to slidably receive a row of cartridges C which are thus retained by their rims. Conveniently, for example, the cartridges may be simultaneously loaded into the slide 46 from a disposable tear-off plastic supply strip (not shown) perforated to carry them in suitably spaced alignment. For urging a loaded row of cartridges along the base portion 36 and toward the feeder mechanism 38, various alternative means may be employed, an elastomer arrangement being provided for illustration as will now be explained. A pusher block 48 (FIGS. 1, 5, 8) slidably retained in the raceway 46 has a central tongue 50 disposed to engage an endmost cartridge under the influence of an elastic rubber band 52 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5). The latter has its opposite ends anchored one on a button 54 (FIG. 5) integral with the block 48 and the other on a knob 56 projecting from the collar 40. During cartridge loading of the raceway the block 48 is of course withdrawn substantially to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, and against resistance of the band 52 by seizing opposite knurled knob portions 58,58 of the block. Then, upon releasing the block 48 to the raceway to the influence of the band 52, a right-hand endmost cartridge C is urged toward the breech and against spaced retainer pins 60,60 (FIGS. 2 and 5) formed of a U-shaped wire carried by the free end of an escapement leaf spring 62 (FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8). This spring is affixed at one end I to the base portion 36 by-screws 64,64. It will accordingly be understood that successive endmost cartridges C are positioned, upon release by the pins 60, to be transferred into the jaws of a spring clip 66 (FIGS. 5-7 inclusive) preparatory to breech-loading by the feeder mechanism 38 as will next be described.

The clip 66 is affixed by a screw 68 to a floating cartridge carrier 70 (FIGS. 1, 5-13) which is operable by the feeder mechanism 38 to transfer successive cartridges from the external receiving breech-closed position, shown in FIG. 8 to the internal, breech-loading position (FIGS. 6 and 11) and then retract for receiving another cartridge. The mechanism 38 is energized by cocking the gun as above described. This is to say that a push rod 72 (FIGS. 6, 8-10), mounted as will be described on a longitudinal, U- shaped track extension 75 of the base portion 36 yieldingly carries a block 74 having a projection radially engageable with the recoil ring 44, and the rod will be displaced rearwardly in the feeder attachment. A compression spring 76 nested in the block 74 urges the latter into engagement with the ring for a purpose later mentioned and the block is restrained by pins 78, 78 respectively arranged in parallel elongated slots 80, 80 (FIGS. 8 and 10), the pins being in the block 74 and the slots formed in the push rod 72. As the barrel is relatively retracted during cocking and breech closing, a spring 82 (FIGS. 5 and 8-10) confined between a tang 84 struck from the push rod 72 and a tang 86 struck from the track extension 75, becomes compressed as shown in FIG. 8. For guiding the rod 72 a pin 87 extends transversely therein through a longitudinally slotted guide 89 and abuts the tang 84 to restrain the spring 82. A cam end 88 of the push rod 72 therefore progressively engages a surface 90 of a lever 92 pivotally connected at 94 to the cartridge carrier 70 as the barrel breech end 26 moves from its carrier camming position shown in FIG. 1 1 to those shown sequentially in FIGS. 12 and 13. Consequently, and with the aid of the now compressed spring 76, the lever 92 which is pivotally mounted on a cross pin 96 in the attachment 32 is caused to assume a position parallel to the base portion 36 as'shown in FIG. 8.

For loosely controlling the pivotal transfer movement of the carrier 70, a tension spring 98 interconnects the pin 96 and a pin 100 in the carrier, and another tension spring 102 interconnects a cross pin 104 fixed in the base 36 and a pin 106 in the lever 92. The lever 92 has a transverse slot for avoiding interference with the pin 104 as the lever assumes the position in the feeder attachment generally parallel to'the axis of the retracted barrel and to the push rod 72.

In next considering the successive stages in the operation of the feeder mechanism one may commence with the gun in breech-closed or ready-to-fire position shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, it being assumed that one cartridge C is loaded in the breech bore and a next-to-befired cartridge C has been allowed by the pins 60,60 to be transferred into the clip 70, such transfer being permitted by reason of displacement (downwardly as shown in FIG. 8) of the pins 60 upon the leaf spring 62 being engaged by a portion 108 of the carrier 70. Following actuation of the trigger 18 and removal of the body 16 from the structure S, as the breech opens the push rod 72 is urged forwardly (i.e., toward the muzzle) by the expanding compressed spring 82 as shown in FIG. 9. In consequence the carrier 70 is at once pivoted clockwise by the influence of the spring 98. As the breech end of the barrel further advances as indicated in FIG. 10, the spring 102 effects added clockwise movement of the carrier 70 to shift the cartridge with the clip 66 to the position approaching parallelism with the barrel bore. Next in moving the cartridge into axial alignment with the barrel bore as illustrated in FIG. 11, a pin 110 in the carrier 70 rides into alignment grooves 1 12 formed in the base portion 36 thus guiding and stabilizing the carrier preparatory to shifting the control cartridge to the barrel breech-closing position as shown in FIGS. 11-13. Also at this time confronting flat surfaces of the carrier 70 and the lever 92 comelnto abutment or stop engaging positions.

With reference to FIG. 12, it will be noted that the breech end 26 successively engages a cam portion 114 of the carrier 70 and the clip screw 68 to effect substantially right angle withdrawal of the clip 66 from the axis of the delivered cartridge. That the rim of this cartridge is not fully seated is of no effect on its subsequent ignition. As above explained, the cocking of the gun to ready it for firing of the delivered cartridge is accomplished by the return of the push rod to restore the feeder mechanism to its energized and reloaded position shown in FIG. 8, a recess 116 (FIGS. 6 and 7) in the carrier 70 allowing for alignment of the carrier with the track extension 75.

In order to enable an operator to lock the cartridge feeding mechanism against operation and thus permit single-shot manual loading when desired, a push button stop 118 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 6-10) is provided. Referring to FIG. 4 the stop 118 is axially slidable in a bore formed in the clamping collar 40 to different positions releasably determined by engagement of a springpressed detent 120 in the collar with one of a series of mating notches 122 formed in the side of the stop 118. A flat 124 on the stop 1 18 is disposed to accommodate passage therethrough of the push rod 72 when automatic cartridge feeding is desired, as shown in full lines in FIG. 4. But when single shot loading is to be practiced, the stop 118 is shifted to its dash-line position (and corresponding to that indicated in FIG. 7) where the breech is only partly open. The wall of a cut-out 126 (FIG. 6, 9, and 10) in the push rod 72 then engages the stop 118 to lock the rod 72 and hence the feeding mechanism against operation. The barrel 28 can of course still be retracted to cocked condition and the tool otherwise employed in usual manner.

Operation of the cartridge feeder attachment will now'be briefly reviewed. Having loaded the tool with a fastener to be driven, and assuming that cartridges C occupy the magazine portion 34 as well as the barrel breech bore, the muzzle end 30 is thrust against the surface S to cock the tool. Relative retraction of the barrel closes the breech preparatory to firing and is the condition illustrated in FIGS. 1, 8. The cocking causes the empty carrier 70 to be displaced counterclockwise from the gun body 14 as indicated in FIGS. l2, 13 by barrel camming. Following the barrel breech camming ofthe carrier 70 to an out of the way position, the movement of the spring 62 and pins 60 to allow loading of the clip 66 by the elastically urged pusher 48 is effected by the portion 108 of the carrier 70 in response to positive camming action by the push rod end 88 bearing on an arm of the carrier 70 to pivot it further counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1, 8. The pins reassume their retaining positions as soon as the clip 66 is cartridge loaded. When the push rod 72 relatively moves muzzleward it allows the carrier 70, under influence of the now tensioned spring 102, to pivot clockwise (as urged by a cam face 128 (FIGS. 10, 11) on the lever 92) toward cartridge delivery in a position aligned with the barrel breech bore as shown in FIGS. 11, 12. The clip 66 holds the cartridge in axial alignment with the breech bore, being stabilized by the pin 110 in the slot 112, until such time as the barrel is again relatively retracted for cartridge loading and for cocking whereupon the operating cycle is repeated.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the feeder attachment 30 provides uncomplicated mechanism which is conveniently operable for converting a single shot tool to optional, reliable repeat fire operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A cartridge feeder attachment for an explosive fastener driving tool of the type having a barrel provided with a breech formed with a bore and movable between breech-open and breech-closed positions relative to a body to cock the tool, the attachment comprising a magazine portion extending externally of the body for presenting successive cartridges to a position adjacent to the breech, and feeder mechanism including a cartridge carrier responsive to cocking movement of the barrel to cause the successively presented cartridges from said magazine portion to be loaded onto the carrier and the carrier to be energized for presenting the loaded cartridge into alignment with the barrel breech bore when the breech is opened.

2. A feeder attachment as in claim 1 wherein the magazine portion includes a cartridge raceway and a detent operable therein, resilient means for urging an endmost cartridge in the raceway against said detent, and said cartridge carrier mounts a clip for frictionally engaging an endmost cartridge in the raceway, the carrier being movable into engagement with the detent to enable said endmost cartridge to be transferred by the resilient means from the raceway into said clip.

3. A cartridge feeder attachment comprising an elongated base portion adapted to be secured to a body of an explosive fastener driving tool, a magazine portion extending generally parallel to the axis of a tubular portion of the body adapted slidably to receive a barrel having a breech bore, said magazine portion including an escapement, and loading mechanism mounted on the base portion substantially in alignment with the magazine portion for receiving sucessive cartridges therefrom to be presented in coaxial alignment with the barrel breech bore, said mechanism including a movable cartridge carrier cooperative with the magazine portion to receive successive cartridges therefrom, a member energizable by relative movement of the barrel to a breech-closed position, and! carrier controlling means including a lever pivotally connected to the base portion and to the carrier, said lever being en'gageable by the member when energized to cause return movement of the carrier from its cartridge delivery position to operate said escapement and reload the carrier.

4. A barrel operated cartridge feeder assembly for external attachment to a body of an explosive fastener driving tool having an axially movable barrel, said assembly comprising a cartridge magazine including an escapement for releasing successive cartridges to be loaded into a position coaxial with a closable breech bore of the barrel, a base adapted 'to be secured to the body for supporting the magazine with its escapement adjacent to the closable barrel breech, and mechanism mounted on the base for operating the escapement and transferring cartridges therefrom to said loading position, said mechanism including a lever pivoted to the base, a cartridge carrier pivoted to the lever, spring means connecting the lever to the base and to the carrier for influencing pivotal relation of the latter relative to the body, and means energized by breech closing movement of the barrel relative to the body to overcome the spring means and cause the cartridge to operate the escapement.

5. In an explosive driving tool of the type having a body having an opening providing access for breech loading of successive cartridges, a barrel slidable in the body between breech-open and breech-closed positions, and a magazine means for presenting successive cartridges to a position adjacent to and externally of said body opening, the improvement which comprises a cartridge loading mechanism responsive to relative axial movement of the barrel and body, said mechanism including a cartridge carrier operable to receive successive cartridges from the presenting position of the magazine means, a member for yieldingly supporting the carrier for movement into and out of the body opening and for pivotal movement about an axis normal to the axis of the barrel, the arrangement being such that breech closing movement of the barrel cams the carrier radially from its cartridge delivery position, and an element energizable by the barrel movement is thereupon effective to cam the member to cause the carrier to be returned to cartridge receiving position adjacent to the magazine means.

6. The tool of claim wherein the magazine means includes a spring-actuated escapement for normally retaining cartridges in the magazine means, and the carrier is fitted with a clip having jaws yieldable to peripherally embrace each cartridge adjacent to its rim, the escapement being operable to release a cartridge to the jaws of the clip in response to pivotal movement of the carrier by said element.

7. The tool of claim 5 wherein a U-shaped base largely encloses the carrier, the member, and said element, and a pin disposed in the carrier is arranged to be received in a complemental groove in the base upon presenting a cartridge to a bore of the barrel whereby the carrier is stabilized during transfer therefrom of a cartridge to the barrel bore.

8. The tool of claim 5 and manually controlled means operable to disable said cartridge loading mechanism without interferring with the ability of the barrel to move relative to said body whereby the tool may be made optionally single shot and manually loadable. 

1. A cartridge feeder attachment for an explosive fastener driving tool of the type having a barrel provided with a breech formed with a bore and movable between breech-open and breechclosed positions relative to a body to cock the tool, the attachment comprising a magazine portion extending externally of the body for presenting successive cartridges to a position adjacent to the breech, and feeder mechanism including a cartridge carrier responsive to cocking movement of the barrel to cause the successively presented cartridges from said magazine portion to be loaded onto the carrier and the carrier to be energized for presenting the loaded cartridge into alignment with the barrel breech bore when the breech is opened.
 2. A feeder attachment as in claim 1 wherein the magazine portion includes a cartridge raceway and a detent operable therein, resilient means for urging an endmost cartridge in the raceway against said detent, and said cartridge carrier mounts a clip for frictionally engaging an endmost cartridge in the raceway, the carrier being movable into engagement with the detent to enable said endmost cartridge to be transferred by the resilient means from the raceway into said clip.
 3. A cartridge feeder attachment comprising an elongated base portion adapted to be secured to a body of an explosive fastener driving tool, a magazine portion extending generally parallel to the axis of a tubular portion of the body adapted slidably to receive a barrel having a breech bore, said magazine portion including an escapement, and loading mechanism mounted on the base portion substantially in alignment with the magazine pOrtion for receiving sucessive cartridges therefrom to be presented in coaxial alignment with the barrel breech bore, said mechanism including a movable cartridge carrier cooperative with the magazine portion to receive successive cartridges therefrom, a member energizable by relative movement of the barrel to a breech-closed position, and carrier controlling means including a lever pivotally connected to the base portion and to the carrier, said lever being engageable by the member when energized to cause return movement of the carrier from its cartridge delivery position to operate said escapement and reload the carrier.
 4. A barrel operated cartridge feeder assembly for external attachment to a body of an explosive fastener driving tool having an axially movable barrel, said assembly comprising a cartridge magazine including an escapement for releasing successive cartridges to be loaded into a position coaxial with a closable breech bore of the barrel, a base adapted to be secured to the body for supporting the magazine with its escapement adjacent to the closable barrel breech, and mechanism mounted on the base for operating the escapement and transferring cartridges therefrom to said loading position, said mechanism including a lever pivoted to the base, a cartridge carrier pivoted to the lever, spring means connecting the lever to the base and to the carrier for influencing pivotal relation of the latter relative to the body, and means energized by breech closing movement of the barrel relative to the body to overcome the spring means and cause the cartridge to operate the escapement.
 5. In an explosive driving tool of the type having a body having an opening providing access for breech loading of successive cartridges, a barrel slidable in the body between breech-open and breech-closed positions, and a magazine means for presenting successive cartridges to a position adjacent to and externally of said body opening, the improvement which comprises a cartridge loading mechanism responsive to relative axial movement of the barrel and body, said mechanism including a cartridge carrier operable to receive successive cartridges from the presenting position of the magazine means, a member for yieldingly supporting the carrier for movement into and out of the body opening and for pivotal movement about an axis normal to the axis of the barrel, the arrangement being such that breech closing movement of the barrel cams the carrier radially from its cartridge delivery position, and an element energizable by the barrel movement is thereupon effective to cam the member to cause the carrier to be returned to cartridge receiving position adjacent to the magazine means.
 6. The tool of claim 5 wherein the magazine means includes a spring-actuated escapement for normally retaining cartridges in the magazine means, and the carrier is fitted with a clip having jaws yieldable to peripherally embrace each cartridge adjacent to its rim, the escapement being operable to release a cartridge to the jaws of the clip in response to pivotal movement of the carrier by said element.
 7. The tool of claim 5 wherein a U-shaped base largely encloses the carrier, the member, and said element, and a pin disposed in the carrier is arranged to be received in a complemental groove in the base upon presenting a cartridge to a bore of the barrel whereby the carrier is stabilized during transfer therefrom of a cartridge to the barrel bore.
 8. The tool of claim 5 and manually controlled means operable to disable said cartridge loading mechanism without interferring with the ability of the barrel to move relative to said body whereby the tool may be made optionally single shot and manually loadable. 